GIVING THANKS by Joanne Shenandoah

In respect to our home the earth,

We say thank you to the earth

For everything that she gives to us;

Nourishing us everyday.

We give thanks to all the water in the world,

Everything within that water.

We give thanks to all the grass that lives on the land.

We give thanks to all the berries, the fruits, the medicines.

We give thanks to the animals that keep the forests clean.

We give thanks to all the trees for their different uses

that they give to us,

For shelters, for fires that we make

In the winter time keeping us warm.

We give thanks to the birds who sing their beautiful songs.

We give thanks to the four winds.

We give thanks to the grandfathers;

The ones that bring the rain.

We give thanks to our oldest brother, the sun,

Who shines his light everyday.

We give thanks to our oldest grandmother, the moon,

For she is the one that has been charged with the duty

To make sure that light has a continuance.

She is the one that watches over all the movements

Of the water and also the water within us.

We give thanks to the stars, her helper.

And we give a special thanksgiving to the four

sacred beings that watch over the human family.

Sometimes we notice them when we are traveling

in dangerous places.

They are the ones that come to our minds

And say go around, don't go any further.

So that's why they are there.

To protect us and steer us away from danger.

So that's what we do. We start right from the earth

and we climb the ladder right to the special place

beyond the heavens.

Where there's a special spirit that lives there.

The spirit that made it possible for us to be here

And everything that we have mentioned.

And so with the collectiveness of our minds and hearts,

We send a special thanksgiving and greeting

To the great spirit of us all.

Joanne Shenandoah

http://whoseroleisitanyway.blogspot.com/